Love, Or Something Like It
by sparx539
Summary: A new mutant gets more than she wanted when Magneto and the X-Men enter her life. UPDATE: Alexis has her first training sessions.
1. Friday, February 4th: Night

Love, Or Something Like It  
  
Previously "The Spell of Love".   
  
AN: Finally, I got off my butt and rewrote this! I wasn't very happy with the first one, so I changed it completely, and I think this one came out better; it's more of what I was looking to write. I still plan on doing a sequel to this, so you're eventually getting a double-dose! But now I must shut my trap and get on with the story, so, here you go!  
  
Disclaimer: I own Alexia, but not the X-Men or Brotherhood. If you want to use Alexia, ask and I'll consider your request.

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Chapter One: Friday, February 4th

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The night air was cold, snow still sticking to the pavement of the sidewalks and the asphalt of the streets of Bayville, New York, even though it had fallen at least a week before. Daybreak was still hours away, yet the moon was already starting to lower itself to the edge of the horizon. Every house and building was dark, their inhabitants peacefully at rest. Everything was as it should be. Well, not everything.  
  
A small figure raced through the streets, snow sticking to the boots on its feet, its breath coming from it in steamy, white puffs. A hole in the street caught the foot of the figure, and it tumbled to the ground, a wounded call escaping its mouth. It tried to pull itself up, but it was stuck to the ground by the heavy metal bracelets adorning its wrists, and the belt around its waist. "No...please, no..." it pleaded, reveling that it was a girl by its high-pitched voice.  
  
The girl tugged at her wrists with her arms, her feet and legs squirming around, trying to pull her waist off the ground. But her attempts were useless, and she remained on the ground. She blew a strand of scraggly hair out of face, before looking around, trying to find the nearest source of help. The only thing she saw was a large mansion, some thirty yards or so in front of her, the house itself blocked by a large iron gate. Quickly taking in her options and surroundings, she gritted her teeth and forced her hands to go as thin as the would; she ripped them out of her bracelets, skin being scratched slightly, the wounds pouring a small amount of scarlet blood onto the ground. When her hand were free, she unbuckled her belt, sucking in her already-thin stomach to climb free of her metal captor.  
  
The pain from her hands finally affecting her, the girl ran towards the gate, struggling to remove every piece of metal from her body. By the time she had reached the gate, a long trail of metal objects lay behind her. Her thin hands grasped the metal bars of the gate, and she screamed up at the mansion, "Help! Somebody...help me!" Her voice echoed through the sharp, cold darkness, but nothing beyond the gate moved or changed. "Nothing is going to help you now..."  
  
The girl began to pant heavily, spinning around and slipping down into a sitting position at the foot of the gate. "What do you want with me?" she cried out, her voice raspy from the cold and her desperate screams for help. The voice spoke again, this time accompanied another figure walking out of the dark. "You, child, are the ultimate roadblock in my path to destroying my enemies. And if you want to live, you will do as you are told!"  
  
The other figure held out a hand, and the gate behind the girl rattled, and she could hear the strain of the metal. Her breath quickened, and tears began falling down her face. "Stop! Stop it!" she screamed, the metallic noise growing louder. The other figure laughed deeply, before whispering a "No". The girl clutched her head, the blood from her hands mixing with her tears and streaking her face. Her skull burned and pounded, pain shooting up and down her body. A buildup of force and power was coursing through her body, and she turned her head up to the now-moonless sky. Her mouth opened and an un-earthly scream echoed through the night as her eyes changed from a deep blue-on-white to a bright, solid, glowing fuchsia. A glow started pouring from her body, not having a source but instead coming from all of the girl. It twisted and turned upward into the sky, before seemingly "exploding" outward into the town.  
  
The glow passed over nearly every building, except for two places: an old, crumbling house about ten miles from the origin of the glow, and the mansion behind the girl. The glow seeped into the buildings, flowing through the entirety of the buildings, searching for victims. It found them in the form of the sleeping occupants, and the glow poured itself into the skin of some of the victims, tainting the blood of those it chose.  
  
Outside, the girl's scream died away, her eyes losing the fuchsia glow and going back to their previous look. She slumped against the gate, now silent as the other figure had lowered their arm. The other figure started back into the darkness, calling back to the girl, "Thank you dear. It's nice to not get your hands dirty once in a while."  
  
The girl looked behind to the mansion, where she could still see the glow through the windows. "What have I done?" she whispered, more tears flowing down her face as she stumbled over to a clump of bushes beside the gate, before falling over onto the ground. "What have I done?" She began to sob, her body bloody, bruised, and stretched out on the ground as if she was a rag doll. Her sobbing continued well into the night, until finally, it subsided as she fell unconscious, shock and pain taking over her.

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AN: 0.o Wow, that's different from before, no? Don't worry, this will still basically be the same story, but I did change some things around because I didn't like the way they were affecting the story. So, now that you've read the new version, review and tell me what you think!  
  
-Rose


	2. Saturday, February 5th:Morning Afternoon

Love, Or Something Like It  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or anything related. I do, however, own Alexia. If you want to use her, ask and I'll consider.  
  
AN: And we're back! Time for chapter two, but first, I'd like to thank my reviewer. That's right, my **1** reviewer. But oh well, can't win all of 'em. But thanks dude, and here's the second chapter!

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Chapter Two: Saturday, February 5th , Morning

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Charles Xavier sat at Cerebro, his hands folded in a pyramid shape, his chin resting on them. His eyes were focused on the strange readings in front of him, the news slightly disturbing him. "Logan," he called out to a man standing behind him, who grunted in response. "Come look at this, will you?"  
  
The other man, tall and gruff looking, came up behind Xavier. His own dark eyes scanned the screen in front of him, and they narrowed slightly. "What's all that mean Chuck?" he asked, folding his arms. "It means that Cerebro has picked up a new mutant, and they're somewhere on the mansion's property. But...I don't know what their power is."  
  
Indeed, the computer was listing the power of the mutant as "Unknown"; same with the mutant's name, age, and background. All that was listed was their location, which, as Xavier said, was somewhere near, in, or around the mansion. "Gather up the students," Xavier said, his eyes still on the screen. "I think we need to find our visitor, in case they're hurt, or in need of help."  
  
Logan nodded, leaving Xavier's side. Within minutes he was standing at the foot of a large staircase. "Hey runts!" he called up the staircase. "The Professor needs you all to come and do something!"  
  
A thundering sound was heard, and a crowd of teens came flying down the stairs to gather around Logan. "Like, what's the Professor need?" asked a petite girl with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. "He needs you guys to search the grounds and around the mansion. Cerebro picked up another mutant, but all it knows is that this mutant is somewhere around the mansion. Now, you five-"he gestured to a red-haired girl, a boy with ruby- colored sunglasses, the small brunette girl, a Gothic, still-sleepy looking girl, and a blue elf-like creature, "-will search the front grounds, and beyond the road. The rest of you-"he pointed to a larger group of teens, "- will search the back half of the grounds and the woods. Understand?"  
  
The two groups of teens nodded, before making a mad dash from the front doors. Each group went off in the direction of where they were supposed to search, the larger group disappearing around the backside of the mansion, while the small group, accompanied by Logan, headed down to the street.  
  
They started searching the area beyond the gate in front of the mansion, the red-head girl, named Jean, taking the twenty yards to the right of the mansion; the boy with the sunglasses, named Scott, took the twenty yards to the left of the mansion. The Gothic girl, named Rogue, took the area around and in front of the gate, while everyone else just spread out. "Wha', exactly, are we lookin' for?" Rogue asked, shading her eyes from the sun that was rebounding off the snow. "Anything that looks suspicious. Clothing, hair, blood...a body..." Logan trailed off, not exactly knowing what to look for himself. Rogue arched an eyebrow, but continued searching.  
  
About ten minutes into the search, the small brunette, named Kitty, let out a cry. "Look at this!" She was waving a shiny metal object in the air above her head. Logan and Rogue ran over, and Kitty lowered the object. "It looks like a belt," she said, giving it to Logan. "And look," she held up more metal objects: several bracelets, two necklaces, a pair of earrings, and a pair of boots. "They're all metal, or have metal on them. And they were, like, all sorta leading up to the gate, like a path. Like, that's so totally weird." Logan picked the objects up, trying to pick a scent off them, while Rogue returned to her searching around the gate.  
  
As her eyes scanned over the metal bars, she noticed faint pull lines on them. They looked strangely familiar, and she cocked her head to the side as she bent down to examine them. "Hey, Kurt!" she yelled, getting the attention of the blue, furry creature. "Yah?" There was a "bamf" sound, and the creature teleported over to Rogue's side. "Ya see those markins? Where have we seen 'em before?"  
  
"Uh, those look a lot like what Magneto does to metal, no?"  
  
"That's wha' Ah'm afraid a." Rogue ran her fingers over the bars, and as she looked down, she noticed what looked like footprints, and body prints. "Kurt..." she said, standing up. "Go an' get Logan, will ya? I think Ah mighta found somethin'."  
  
Kurt nodded, teleporting over to Logan and tossing his head over to Rogue. He tilted his chin up, and Rogue beckoned him over. He began to walk over, and Rogue turned her attention away from the gate, following the scuffle marks and disturbances in the snow. Her eyes continued to follow the path, until they stopped at a clump of bushes and a tree near the gate. Narrowing her eyes, she walked over to the clump, but quickly pulled back. "Logan!" she yelled, the man quickening his pace. "What is it Stripes?" he asked gruffly, while Rogue let a finger wander into the bushes. "Ah, uh, think Ah found wha' we were lookin' for..."  
  
Logan moved over to the bushes, the other for teens gathering around Rogue as she starred on warily. Logan straighten up, and snarled, "Red, go tell the Professor we found the mutant. Elf, Half-Pint, go tell Beast to prepare the med-lab. Stripes, Cyclops, stay here. I'm gonna need some help with this one."  
  
The others scattered, Rogue and Scott staying behind. Logan bent down once again, and when he straightened up, Rogue gasped, while Scott's jaw dropped. In Logan's arms was a thin girl, probably only about fifteen, and she was small, about the same height as Kitty. But what was frightening was her face and hands; both were covered with blood. The girl was dressed for the winter month, in a pair of jeans, a sweater, scarf, and parka. But her feet were bare except for socks, which made Rogue think that the boots Kitty had found were hers. "Come on," Logan said, shifting the girl slightly. "She's still breathing, but barely. We need to get her inside. Cyclops, get that stuff Kitty found. Stripes, go and help Beast, and tell Storm what we found."  
  
Rogue took a last glance at the girl, before running ahead of Logan and Scott, her own breathing sharp. Whatever had happened in the night, didn't look good. It didn't look good at all.

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Saturday, February 5th, Afternoon

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Alexis Maria Valentine opened her dark blue eyes, and she instantly thought she was dead. A bright light was shinning in her face, and she wasn't in pain any more; even her empty stomach wasn't growling for food. She sat up, and was slammed back into reality, courtesy of a very large, blue, furry beast. Her eyes widened, and she let out a high-pitched, scratchy scream, which wasn't very loud despite the tone. The beastly creature turned around, smiling, and walked towards Alexis. "Ah, I see my charge has awakened. Please, don't be scared. I'm here to help you."  
  
Alexis didn't know what to say, so she fell quiet, her eyes falling to the ground. It seemed that she was still alive. "Damn," she muttered, and the beast faced her again. "Excuse me?" he asked, and she looked back up. "Oh, sorry," she replied. "I was just upset that I'm still alive, I mean, after everything...I thought I wasn't going to survive the night."  
  
"Well, luckily you did. And, your injuries weren't as severe as all of us thought, but, tell me...how did you cut your hands? And how did you get blood all over your face?"  
  
Alexis again looked down, noticing that her hands were bandaged. She closed her eyes, memories of the previous night coming back to her vividly. She sighed, and whispered, "I really don't want to talk about it. Really, I just don't."  
  
"Well, I think that the only way I can help you is if you tell me what happened," another voice answered, and Alexis looked up, her eyes meeting those of Charles Xavier. She scowled, and shook her head. "What if I don't want to tell you? I don't even know who the hell you are, where I am, or how I got here. How am I supposed to trust you?"  
  
Xavier looked down at the angry girl, before nodding. "My name is Charles Xavier. You are in my institute for gifted youngsters, like yourself. But how you got here is beyond me." He rolled his wheelchair up next to Alexis' medical bed, and she watched him carefully. "I know how I got here, to Bayville," she said, eyes widening slightly. "But how did I get inside?"  
  
"You were discovered outside the mansion's gates. Logan, one of the teachers here, brought you in for medical treatment. We were all afraid that you were dying." Xavier reached out a hand and rested in beside Alexis'. She cast a look down at it, before pulling her small, bandaged hand away. "I still don't think I can trust you," she said softly. "But I'll try."  
  
She took a deep, shaky breath, before blinking away a few tears. "To really understand everything, I should tell you everything I know. Please, don't be scared when I tell you this, but...I'm a mutant, like...like him." She pointed at Beast, who smiled softly, before going back to some paperwork he had started. Alexis looked back at Xavier, and continued. "I've been running from authorities and another mutant for about a month now, and I've been in Bayville for about three days. Last night, I was running away, again. But, that other mutant was back. He trapped me near your mansion-" she stopped, holding up her hands. "I cut my hands trying to get away. The blood on my face was from my hands, because I was covering my face with them."  
  
Xavier looked at the girl, silence hanging in the air. He took a chance, and reached into the girls mind. "Stay completely still," he said softly, holding a hand to the now-frightened girls temples. "Just try to remember last night. Try to remember everything you can."  
  
Xavier found himself in a dark street alley, somewhere on the other side of town. He began to walk out of the alley, and as if some sort of force was guiding him, he began to run in the direction of the mansion. He relieved every moment of Alexis' traumatic night, up until he was backed against the gate. He felt a pull, and suddenly the girls memories were replaced with the med-lab. Alexis was holding his hand away from her head. "You know too much," she said, dropping his hand.  
  
Xavier looked thoughtful for a minute, before looking Alexis straight in the eye. "How do you know Magneto?"  
  
Alexis looked confused for a second, before shrugging. "That metal guy? He's the one that's been following me around. I...I don't really like him much..." She looked down, away from the Professor and Beast, who had come up behind Xavier. "Please, can we just drop this all? I really need to get going." She jumped off the bed, picked her clothes up off a chair beside the bed, and started for the door. "Thanks for helping me out and all, but I need to get going. After all, places to go, people to see." She laughed nervously, before going to a bathroom in the back of the lab to change.  
  
Beast looked at Xavier, who starred back sadly. "She's being followed by Magneto?" Beast asked. Xavier nodded. "It seems that way. But why? What does she have that he wants?"  
  
"Maybe she crossed his paths and got on his bad side." Xavier nodded again, before replying with, "It surely is possible. But why would he pursue her for so long? She says that she's been running for a month-"  
  
"And she's in bad shape." Beast pointed to the papers he'd been filling out. "Malnutrition, several bruises, those cuts on her hands, and lack of sleep. She needs to stay here, at least for a few days." Xavier shook his head. "We can't force her to stay. She's battling some sort of inner conflicts, and she's not open to trusting us. She-"  
  
A loud, blood-curdling scream cut Xavier off, and Alexis came burst back in the room. _"Where is it?!"_ she screamed, running over to the bed and pulling back the sheets. She franticly ran her hands over the bed, before pulling the sheets up again. She looked around the room in a panic, before clutching her neck. "Where is it?!" she screamed again, before Beast gently laid his arm on her shoulder. "Where's what?" he asked sweetly, and Alexis, whipped around to face him. "My locket! My silver locket! _What have you all done with it?"_

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Alexis' hands were wrapped around a steamy mug of hot tea, which she early gulped down, despite how much she insisted that she wasn't thirsty. She was sitting now in the library of the institute, Xavier, Logan, Rogue, Kurt, Scott, Jean, and Kitty seated around her. Beast had stayed back in the lab, with another woman named Ororo, also known as Storm. Everyone was patiently waiting for Alexis to explain about the night before. But she continued to pour herself more tea in silence, every now and then touching the silver locket around her neck. Scott had given it to her when he had come running into the med-lab and seen the panicked Alexis.  
  
Alexis drained her fourth cup of tea, set down the cup, and starred at the others in the room. "I'm guessing that you all want an explanation, right?" A few nods went around the room, and Alexis tried her best to smile. "Well, I guess it wouldn't harm to tell you guys. But I need to start at the beginning. That would be back in ninety-six, when I was seven-years-old..."

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AN: Yes, it's a cliffhanger. So sue me. On second thought, don't sue me; I'm broke. I'll put up the second part to this soon, I promise!  
  
-Rose


	3. Saturday, February 5th: Afternoon Night

Love, or Something Like it  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men, but I do own Alexis.  
  
AN: And part two of chapter two has arrived! Technically, this is chapter three, but it takes off from the cliffhanger of chapter two.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers, I luff you guys so much! Especially you, Jenn. You made no sense, but I know it's a compliment. After all, I have known you for two years now!

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_Previously, on "Love, or Something Like It":  
  
Cerebro picks up signs of a mutant on the grounds. She's found, but is barely alive. After a strange meeting, the girl decides to open up to Xavier and his X-Men.  
  
"I'm guessing that you all want an explanation, right? Well, I guess it wouldn't harm to tell you guys. But I need to start at the beginning. That would be back in ninety-six, when I was seven-years-old..."_

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Chapter Three: Saturday, February 5th, Afternoon

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Alexis cut herself off, before looking out the library window, her eyes misty and depressed. "That was the year my mom and dad lost me and my brother to Child Services. I don't remember why; it's probably better that I don't. But still, I remember crying the day we had to leave. My brother didn't leave with me though..." She paused and clutched her locket tight in her fist. "He was five then, and the social worker told me not to worry about him. But I did, and I still do. I haven't heard of him since; for all I know, he could've been adopted in another country or something..."  
  
A few people in the room shifted, namely Scott, Kurt, and Rogue. The three all had similar stories, in a way: Rogue not knowing her real parents from a young age, Kurt being adopted and only knowing who his real mother was, and Scott not knowing that his own brother was alive for nearly ten years.  
  
Alexis cleared her throat and took another long sip of her tea, before continuing, her voice now containing more emotion. "After a few years in a single foster home, I began to 'bounce'. No place seemed right to me, so I just kept going from place to place. I had finally thought I'd found a home a few months ago, in November. But then the trouble started.  
  
"In December, my mutant powers first started to develop. They weren't very strong, so they were easy to conceal. But as they started to get stronger, they got out of control. I decided to take a walk one night, after one especially disastrous incident, to get my head together. But then, something happened. I don't remember what it was, but the next second it was dark, and I was in some city I'd never seen before. And some guy was with me. He told me that his name was Erik, and that he wanted to help me. I was scared, and I knew that staying there wouldn't be right, so I ran. I ran, and I ran, and I kept running. I was just trying to get away."  
  
Xavier closed his eyes. _Erik, what did you do to her? And what do you plan to do?_ He turned back to Alexis, asking delicately, "Then what did you do?"  
  
She shrugged. "Tried to survive on the streets. I didn't know most of the places I was in, but I knew I was moving north. It never crossed my mind to go back; it wasn't really an option. Anyway, that guy, Erik, 'Magneto', whatever, kept following me everywhere I went. I didn't always see him, but I could feel him. I knew he was there."  
  
The X-Men could relate. That guy really had a way of letting you know he was around. Alexis noticed the few glances and shudders around the room. "Y'all know him?"  
  
Scott nodded. "Let's just say we know what you went through with him." Alexis raised a thin eyebrow, but shrugged and continued. "To stay on my feet, I had to steal things every now and then. Or I'd work for what little money I could get. Looking back now, those four weeks look, and felt, more like years. Except the past few days, the days I've been here in Bayville. Those felt like eternities.  
  
"I'd bummed a ride from a tucker up here, since I heard that there were a lot of people like me around."  
  
Jean looked puzzled. "Runaways?" A flash of anger played in Alexis' eyes, before she stiffly replied, "No, mutants." She cast here eyes down to the floor. "I thought I'd be safe if I could make it to the place I'd heard about. But I couldn't seem to find it. That is, until Erik chased me there. He wanted me to stay with his little 'group', but I couldn't stand being tired down by him, or being told what to do. I was never there, so I don't even know what I 'missed out on'. All I know is I wanted out of Bayville. So I set out last night for the city. There, I figured I could finally lose Erik. But he found me when I left, and this time, he was pissed. He told me that he wasn't playing 'cat and mouse' anymore, and that I had to surrender. But I wouldn't and-"  
  
"he chased you though the city and up here. He tried to capture you, but you got loose and tried running here for help. But Magneto still got to you in the end," Xavier finished, looking sympathetic. Alexis slowly nodded, before turning to everyone in the room. "Y'all are mutants right? Like that guy and this one?" She jerked a thumb at Xavier and Beast, who had returned from the lab with Ororo. Scott and Jean looked around nervously, but Kitty piped up, "Yup, that's us! All mutants, just like you!"  
  
Alexis pulled back slightly, both eyebrows arched in a way that spelled "dude, chill out". But she just said, "Really? Thought so."  
  
"Well, are ya gonna go on?" Rogue asked, breaking the dull silence forming in the room. "What? Oh...um...yeah, uh, s-sure..." Alexis stumbled over her words, seeming nervous now. "Well, after he cornered me, I sorta...lost it. My control that is. He can do this weird thing that seems to make me lose control over my powers, and when I was by the gate, he did the thing. I lost all my control, and my powers went wild. I don't really remember how; my head was pounding so hard and I couldn't see well. But when my powers stopped, he left, thanking me for...what I had done." Alexis dropped her head in what looked like shame. "After that, I was so exhausted and out of it, I just passed out. I was so sure I was going to die, but I didn't all that much care. And then this morning I guess y'all found me, and well...yeah. This all happened."  
  
The room was silent. It wasn't that Alexis' story had them stunned; they were just surprised. And a bit disturbed. During the whole duration of her life story, Alexis failed to mention what her power was; the thing she possessed that she could barely control, and that seemed to have bad effects when they went wild. A few X-Men exchanged glances, all being worried looks. Xavier seemed to be picking up on the vibes in the room, and he turned to Alexis. "If you could, Miss-"He held back, not sure of her last name. Or of her first for that matter. No one had asked, she hadn't said, and the only clue was that one of her bracelets was inscribed with _AV_ all around it.  
  
Alexis smiled a small smile. "Alexis. Alexis Valentine."  
  
"Ah, yes. Miss Valentine, if you don't mind, could you please tell us what you mutant power is?"  
  
Alexis looked at the ground, her eyes shifty. "I dunno..." she muttered, kicking at the rug. She was visibly nervous, her hands shaking slightly as she set her cup down. "They're...not easy to explain. Or to understand. Unless, of course, you've, um...felt them." She looked up from the ground, looking worried herself. "I manipulate emotions my means of subconscious trances. In laymans terms, I put trances on people that have certain reactions. But I cannot control the reactions except in a few rare cases, as far as I know. Which, to put it plainly, sucks. I have no control of how long the trances last, nor of what they cause." Alexis seemed a bit relieved now, but Xavier felt that she was still holding back. "And, what kind of trances are these?" he asked, moving closer to the girl.  
  
Instantly, a guilty look came over here, and Xavier could've sworn she had another ability; one that aided her in her rapidly changing emotions. "Fyrewurvfrancids..." she muttered, and everyone was confused again. "What now? What are they?" Xavier prodded, and Alexis sighed deeply. "They're...just trances."  
  
Logan rolled his eyes and growled. "Listen girly, just tell the man what ya do and get it over with already! We've already sat through your sob story about how horrible your life's been and how much Mags scares you. Now, spare us another pity-party and just say it!"  
  
Alexis turned on the couch, her eyes narrowed. "I didn't have to tell you. I could've just left without saying a word, which I wanted to do in the first place. But I took a chance, thinking y'all could help me. Well, I guess I was wrong." Her eyes flashed a dangerous-looking fuchsia color, and Alexis' breathing quickened. "No," she muttered, closing her eyes and leaning forward. She muttered to herself, taking short, deep breaths. After a minute or so, she opened her eyes slowly. They were a dark blue again, and she brushed the little "episode" off easily, as if they happened all the time.  
  
She stood up, wide-eyed faces watching her every move, and set down her empty teacup. "Thank you Professor Xavier, but I feel that I have been enough of a burden. If I could just use your phone, I'll be on my way." She pulled a thick wallet from her back pocket, something that had been overlooked when she was found, and waved it back and forth. "That Erik guy might scary as hell and want me dead, but _man_, he's _loaded_. Gave me this when I was 'supposed' to join his little group. I'm betting that this is enough for a cab and a plane ticket." She began to walk out of the room, when a hand shot out and caught her.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey." The boy Alexis identified as Kurt held up his furry blue hands. "Don't leave. At least, not yet. We can really help you here. Really. Don't listen to Logan; he's always grumpy and impatient like that." He flashed her a smile, but Alexis still looked upset. "I don't know..." she started, when Scott stuck his nose in.  
  
"You might as well stay you know. It's not like you have anywhere else to go." He folded his arms across his chest, his ruby-quartz glasses glinting in the pale sunlight filtering in from the windows. Alexis locked her eyes with his, and as if she was staring into his soul, she planted her feet firmly in the carpet.  
  
"If –and mind you, this is an 'if'- I stay, what do I have to do for you?"  
  
This whole time, the adults had carefully been watching the girl, Logan with suspicion, the other with curiosity. It was like being on a roller-coaster, listening to Alexis: one minute she was sad, then angry, then losing it, and now cautious. Were all of these emotions covering for something else?  
  
"Well?" Alexis' voice grew impatient, and her foot began to tap. "I'm waiting..." The room was silent, its occupants not knowing what to say. Finally, Rogue spoke up. "If ya stay, ya hafta train wit us 'n learn how ta handle yer powers. Ya hafta live here 'n go ta school wit us 'n everythin'. We gotta deal?"  
  
"Not quite. What's in it for me?"  
  
"Ya'll get control. An' friends. Ain't that what ya want?"  
  
Alexis' eyes bore into Rogue's, the girl carefully going over the words. Finally her eyes cleared, and she held out a slim hand. "Deal."  
  
The rest of the room winced as Alexis hit the floor, hard. Rogue stood up and put her glove back on, before making for the door. "Ah'm sorry, but she was getting' on mah nerves."

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Saturday, February 5th, Night

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Alexis groaned, rubbing her head, as she sat up. Instead of being on the library floor, she was now on a bed, a real bed. Which was in a rather spacious room, one with a television, radio, dresser, and desk. "Damn, how long have I been out?" she muttered, turning to see a balcony near her bed, complete with long windows, the curtain pulled back to reveal the waxing moon.  
  
"Oh, I'd say about six hours, give or take an hour," a voice near her said lazily, causing Alexis to jump. "Don't do that!" she half yelled as Scott turned on a lamp on the bedside table. He was sitting on another bed, a grin plastered on his face. Alexis scowled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "So, I'm guessing that this is my room?" she asked, not even touching the subject of what had happened. She had a feeling that it would include a lengthy answer to a simple question.  
  
"Not exactly. It's your room for the night, but tomorrow you'll be moving in with your new roommate. After you go do some shopping with the girls and have a training session with us." He put on his leader face. "You'll be training with all of us."  
  
"All?"  
  
"Yeah, all of us X-Men. Even our lesser-experienced members."  
  
Alexis slowly nodded. "Yeah, OK, whatever. Right now I'm going to crash. It feels like little miss Mississippi Goth Queen ran me over with a freight train. That, or I was attacked with rampaging, club-wielding Furbies on acid." She smiled, expecting Scott to laugh. But he only looked at her strangely, remaining quiet. "Uh, hello? Earth to Shades. Hello? Huston, we've lost contact."  
  
Scott laughed. "Oh Alexis, your hilarious!" She raised an eyebrow. "OK, I'm funny, and thanks. But it wasn't that funny."  
  
"Yes it was!" Scott continued to chuckle, and Alexis rolled her eyes. Suddenly, Scott stopped. "You know, when the moon falls on your face like that, you look so beautiful..." He stood up, Alexis watching him carefully. He sat down next to her on the bed, before cupping her face in his hands and bending forward. Alexis knew what was happening, and roughly shoved Scott away. "Dude, what do you think you're doing?!" she cried, backing away. Scott blinked for a few seconds before shaking his head. "I...I don't know. It felt like...like I..."  
  
"Say no more," Alexis replied as a blush crept up on both their faces. "I think I'm fine now, so go on, get out of here." She made "shoo" motions with her hands, and Scott stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. He reached the door, before turning back to Alexis. "I'm...sorry. That –it didn't- I mean-"  
  
"It doesn't mean anything, right? You have no clue what you were doing, and this never happened?" Alexis more commanded than suggested. Scott nodded slowly, muttering, "Yeah. It never happened." He walked out of the room, still confused, and closed the door quietly behind him.  
  
"Yeah, nothing ever happens, does it?" Alexis whispered, falling back onto the bed and pulling the sheets and comforter over herself. The moon seemed to grin down at her like the Cheshire Cat from "Alice In Wonderland". "But what I did, did happen. And it's starting to take effect. Again, I ask myself: what the heck have you done Valentine? What have you done?"

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AN: Fwee, that was a fun chapter to write, especially the end. I'll be bringing the Brotherhood in on this next chapter, along with a few New Recruits. They'll all have parts though, rest assured. Now, press the little purple button and review this puppy!  
  
Oh, and a question:  
  
Why don't those damn kids just let the rabbit have the cereal? It's not like it'd kill them to let him have one box! And why won't the other damn kids just leave the leprechaun the alone?

-Rose


	4. Sunday, February 6th: Afternoon

Love, or Something Like It  
  
Disclaimer: I disclaim.  
  
AN: Woo, chapter four! I'm seriously loving this fic, and thanks all, you guys are great for reviewing!  
  
**Jenny**- Hey there crazy one! Thanks, I hope it turns out good. I'll try adding more detail this chapter, OK?  
  
**CajunBelle**- Yes! Someone agrees with me! Now we both know we're not crazy! And thanks for your review.  
  
**Sunruner**- Hey Sun! Thanks for the review, I feel appreciated!  
  
**Minion**- I'll try to make my OC not all...OC-ish, hehe. This chapter will be more of a development on her character. And I might add the Acolytes in this, but it's a slim chance. In the sequel though they play a big part, so don't worry! I'm weird too, hehe. Thanks for the Magneto comment too!  
  
**Sparkie**- Let's all give Logan hugs, eh? I think he needs one, and if not, let's do it just to bug him! I actually have no clue where the term "Mary- Sue" came from. I've known it for about 3 years, and I started hearing it way back on some old message boards where I first started doing fanfiction. You call your brother a Mary-Sue? How awesome! And degrading. hugs Aw, I feel luffed now.   
  
And now, by popular demand, is chapter four!

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Chapter Four: Sunday, February 6th, Afternoon

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Alexis leaned back into her seat, the cold winter air whipping her cheeks. A smile played on her lips, but wouldn't fully show itself. _I may be stuck with a bunch of crazy girls, but this ain't half-bad_, she thought to herself as she stuck an arm over the edge of the red Corvette convertible she was riding in. _I might even get used to this after a while.  
_  
In the front seat, Jean looked into the review mirror. She caught Alexis' moment of happiness, and smiled slightly. The girl had issues, true. But there hadn't been a student at Xavier's that couldn't be helped, if you didn't count Evan.  
  
The car the girls were riding in was fully packed; it was slightly amazing to see how many people you could stuff in one car. Jean was driving of course, and next to her in the passenger seat was Kitty. Behind them, in the seats, were Rogue, Alexis, and Rahne, who was to be Alexis' roommate. Rahne had been trying to start up a conversation with Alexis, but the girl would either ignore her, or offer one-worded answers. All-in-all, she was getting on the lycanthrope's, and Rogue's, nerves.  
  
After a twenty-minute drive, the group arrived at the Bayville Mall, which was heavy with shoppers. Inside, nearly everything was covered in pink, red, and white, the stores all ready for Valentines Day. Jean, Kitty, and Rahne seemed to be in heaven as they rushed to the nearest store, Alexis and Rogue in tow. Rogue wrinkled her nose in disgust at the frills and messages of love adorning the walls of the store. _Who's stupid enough to get wrapped up into this dumb holiday anyway_, she thought as she walked over to a rack of jeans. _Definitely not me._  
  
Alexis raised an eyebrow at the contents of the store, not at all what she normally chose to wear. There was too much pink, too many frills and pastels, and everything seemed to bare more skin than she was comfortable to bare. She looked around, spotting Rogue looking over some jeans, and made a bee-line for the Goth.  
  
"Lousy store, no?" she asked, slightly timid. Rogue looked up from the rack, eyes narrowed. She shrugged, before adverting her eyes from Alexis'. "'Bout all ya'll find bein' with them," she nodded towards Kitty and Jean, who were waiting for Rahne to come out of one of the dressing rooms. Alexis sighed, her own hands reaching for the jeans. "Wish I could get out of here. Frills and pink are not my deal."  
  
"Ain't mine either sugah, but with them 'round..." Rogue trailed off, looking Alexis over. Something in her mind stirred, probably only an affect of Alexis' psyche inside her mind. But still, in a second, it seemed to change Rogue's perspective on the girl. She still didn't like her, but she was now willing to give her a chance at redemption. "Listen. Ah know a couple stores 'round here that might suit yer tastes. Wanna go check 'em out?"  
  
Alexis nodded, smiling a bit. "Love to. But what about, you know? The pep- squad?"  
  
"Aw, forget 'em. Let's do our own kind of shoppin'." Alexis broke out into a grin, before Rogue grabbed her wrist with a gloved hand and nearly ran from the store. As the two walked in silence across the tiled floors, Alexis stuffed her hands in her pockets. She sighed, breaking the silence. "So, um..." she started, casting dark eyes over in Rogue's direction. "What exactly...did you do to me yesterday? When you made me faint, or pass-out, or whatever."  
  
Rogue locked eyes with Alexis, green focusing on blue. She blew a strand of snow-white hair out of her face. "Ah stole yer life-force. When Ah touch someone's bare skin wit mah bare skin, Ah steal a part of 'em for a while. In tha case of mutants, Ah take their powers for a while. But...tha's wha was strange wit you...Ah din' get any power. At least, Ah don' think Ah did."  
  
Alexis rolled these words over in her head, before furrowing her brow in thought. She bit her pale, upper lip, eyes turning to the ground. Her long, shaggy black hair fell beside her face, obscuring it from Rogue's view. Her voice came out from behind her protective shield, soft and, if Rogue was not mistaken, scared. "When you...steal a life force...do you also steal memories? Thoughts? Anything a person may be hiding...do you know it?"  
  
Rogue shrugged, unsure if the other girl could see her do it. "Sometimes. Ah mean, yah Ah steal memories. But it ain't like Ah know tha whole person, all their secrets and all their parts. Why?"  
  
"It's just...nothing. Forget I ever asked." Alexis reappeared from behind her curtain of hair, a forced smile on her face. Rogue gave her a smile of her own, one that was unsure, yet still there. The two walked in silence for a bit longer, before Rogue stopped and pointed ahead of them. "There's tha first store."  
  
A large, neon-pink sign proclaimed the store to be "Warehouse 17". Loud, heavy-metal music blared from the store's stereo-system, and all kinds of teens were walking in and out. A look of awe crossed Alexis' face, before Rogue roughly shook her shoulder. "Are ya gonna go in or jus' stay there gwakin'?" She smirked slightly, and Alexis turned slowly towards her. "Pinch me," she whispered, smiling, slightly-eccentrically. She grabbed Rogue's upper arm and sped into the shop, beaming, Rogue trying her best not to trip as she ran sideways into the store.  
  
To say that Alexis was in heaven would've been the understatement of the year. She was rummaging through the racks of clothing and accessories like crazy, picking out things with care and holding them up against her petite frame. After about ten minutes, once she had calmed down and Rogue had recovered from the dose of excitement-fueled teen, Alexis had what she wanted. Rogue cocked her head to the side as Alexis showed her what she had picked. "Are ya sure ya wan' tha' stuff sugah? Ah mean...it's just so...plain. An' jus..."  
  
"Just what?" Alexis asked. She was holding up two changes of clothing, one being a plum-colored sweater with black cargo pants, the other being a black T-shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt with dark blue jeans. She looked down at the clothes, then back to Rogue. "What's wrong with them?"  
  
Rogue wasn't sure what to say. They weren't bad, but they just didn't seem to fit the girl. But, after all, Rogue barely knew her. So she shook her head, replying with, "Nothin'. They're fine." Alexis smiled brightly, and quickly paid for the clothes with the money Magneto had given her. The pair of girls walked out of the store, shopping done, and without any blood shed on either of their parts.  
  
"There you guys, like, are!" Alexis cringed as a sickly sweet voice rang out, Kitty, Jean, and Rahne running over to them. "Oh, uh, hey guys," she muttered, bending her hand in a slight wave. "What did you, like, get?" Alexis opened her bag, ready to show off her new clothes, when an annoyed, "I'm-better-than-you" voice called out, "Oh-look! Looks-like-the-X-Geeks- have-a-new-member!"  
  
The girls all turned around, coming face-to-face with a pale skinned teen boy, who was leaning on a taller teen girl with flipped-out blonde locks. "You're right Petey!" the girl cried, smacking a mouthful of gum. "Wonder what this 'Little Miss Perfect' can do." She walked forward and pushed Alexis slightly. "Come on. Show us what your special trick is!"  
  
Jean grabbed Alexis firmly on the shoulder. "Tabitha, don't go starting fights. And leave Alexis alone."  
  
"Oh shut up Grey." Tabitha sneered, blowing a bubble in Alexis' face. "Come on girly," she whispered. "Are you going to let Grey fight all your battles?"  
  
Alexis dropped her shopping bags and curled her hands into fists. "Why should I? I could easily kick your ass, powers or no powers. Bring it on." She shuffled her feet a bit, positioning herself for an attack. Tabitha dropped her sneer and adopted a rather ugly look on her overly-made up face. "Fine. Why not? I could use a bit of exercise."  
  
"I-heard-that!" called the pale, white-haired boy, his voice running at super speed. Tabitha turned quickly and yelled, "Shut up Pietro!". That gave Alexis the perfect opportunity to strike, which she did. There was a sickening "smack" as her foot connected with the back of Tabitha's knees, bringing the blonde falling to the tiled floor. She quickly stood up though and made for Alexis' face, sharp nails clawing at her cheeks.  
  
Alexis stumbled back, blood starting to flow from the cuts on her cheeks, but she ignored it as she lunged at Tabitha, knocking her to the ground again. She was fighting dirty now as she took a clump of frazzled blonde hair and yanked it forward before kneeing Tabitha in the stomach. Her eyes blazed with fury as she climbed off the spluttering blonde, and she huffed deeply, her shoulders jerking back, reminding Rogue of Logan.  
  
Pietro ran over to Tabitha and helped her sit up, thumping her on the back as she regained control of her breathing. She fixed Alexis with teal eyes, before smirking slightly. "You're good..." she muttered, standing up and holding out a hand. Alexis took it gingerly, before finding herself pulled into a headlock. "But not as good as me."  
  
Rogue watched as Alexis struggled to get out of Tabitha's grip, her brow furrowing with worry. She felt the need to get in there and help the new girl out, yet held back. A voice inside her head, one that suspiciously sounded like Alexis herself, told her to back down. '_Let them fight, it's not your place to get involved..._' it whispered, before fading from Rogue's mind Beside her, she could see Jean getting panicky, before screaming, "Stop it!" She used her telekinesis to force the two girls apart and had Kitty and Rahne hold Alexis back. The younger girl was breathing hard, the scratches on her cheeks now not her only wounds. But she was still struggling to get back in the fight, as was Tabitha, who Pietro was having a rough time controlling. "Yo, Blob!" he called out to someone in the food court. "C'mere-and-restrain-Boom-Boom, will-ya?"  
  
A _very_ large boy lumbered over and grabbed the blonde around the waist, holding her off the ground. Two more boys joined the group, one who looked too much like a frog for comfort, the other looking like a cross between the grunge of the 80's and a biker. "What's got her so riled up?" the taller, grungy boy asked, brushing brown, shaggy hair out of his eyes. Pietro pointed over at Alexis and the other X-Girls, and the boy's eyes brightened.  
  
"Hey there, Pretty Kitty," he said, addressing the annoyed-looking Kitty. "Uh, hey Lance," she called back, digging her heels into the ground so as to stop Alexis from breaking free. The froggish boy hopped over and stood next to Alexis, puzzled. "Yo, what's her malfunction?" he asked Rogue, who appeared to be the only sane person in the bunch. "Oh, Tabitha got on her nerves. Lil' firecracker this one is." She nodded to Alexis, who was now growling obscenities under her breath, some sounding physically impossible. "It's prob'ly best ta jus' let 'er get it outta her system, but you know how Jean is 'bout these kinda things. Plus, Ah don' think it'd be nice ta see blood shed this early in tha day."  
  
The boy nodded, before going back to the group of boys that were now trying to silence a screaming Tabitha. "Uh, I think we all should leave," Jean said, eyes wide with some fright as Tabitha started cursing at the frog-boy in Italian, no doubt having learnt it from one of the boys. Kitty and Rahne nodded, and Rogue picked up Alexis' shopping bag. "C'mon Lex," she said, patting the girl on the shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Ya'll be able ta kill her later." The girl, stopped her mutters and looked at Rogue, anger still flashing in her eyes. "Fine," she growled, before spitting at Tabitha's feet. "I'll make sure to take care of the job next time."  
  
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"So, who was this chick that I'm going to murder again?" Alexis asked from the back seat of the car, now calmer as the cold air whipped her face, her cuts stinging with satisfaction. "Her name's Tabitha Smith, and she used to be part of the X-Men," Jean replied from the driver's seat, still slightly freaked from the mall incident. "She can create these little bomb things, so we're lucky that you two weren't using any powers while you were fighting."  
  
"And what about those guys?" Alexis pressed, leaning forward slightly. "Those were Freddy Dukes, Lance Alvers, Todd Tolensky, and Pietro Maximoff, also known as Blob, Avalanche, Toad, and Quicksilver." Kitty turned around and faced Alexis with a mix of a smile and an eye-roll. "They're the 'Brotherhood of Mutants', a group-"  
  
"Those are the guys Magneto wanted me to join!" Alexis cried, surprise written all over her face. "Whoa, good thing I didn't, huh?" Her comment was met by stares and nods, before the subject was dropped, no one wishing to continue. It was likely that Scott or Logan or _someone_ would give her a lecture about the Brotherhood; a lecture that would, no doubt, go in one ear and out the other.  
  
As the winter air slapped her cheeks, Rogue closed her eyes and relived some of the moments that had just happened. Although she'd been half-way watching the fight between Alexis and Tabitha, the other half of her attention was directed to someone else. A rather handsome, well-built, light-haired and complected someone.  
  
Rogue quickly shook her head. Was she actually thinking of Pietro Maximoff that way? She the boy was good-looking, but handsome? The guy was more snotty and arrogant than anything else, a womanizer who loved a challenge. And he was the enemy for crying out loud! But still, Rogue found her thoughts drifting towards the speed demon, no matter how hard she tried to shove the thoughts down and away. _Must be all this Valentine's crap getting to me_, she thought, mentally slapping herself. _Don't be fooled Rogue. You don't like the speedster, you just **don't**.  
_  
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The front door to the mansion slammed open, announcing the arrival of the five, post-shopping girls. Logan looked up from his newspaper as the girls crossed through the kitchen, laughing and grabbing a bit of something to eat each. He noticed the dried blood on Alexis' face and growled. "Hey, new kid. What happened to you?"  
  
Alexis touched the marks on her face lightly. "Oh, nothing really. Just getting to know some of the kids from school." She smiled brightly, before heading off with Rahne to their room to change for the training session. Jean and Kitty left soon after them, leaving Rogue alone with the Wolverine. "So, Stripes," Logan started as Rogue leaned against a counter and bit into an apple. "What did she really do?"  
  
Rogue lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. "Tabitha was there an' tried ta start somethin'. But Ah guess Lex isn't as weak as she looks. Tha girl has got some skills...almost reminds me a ya Logan." She pushed herself off the counter and made for the doorway, before swallowing a bite of apple and looking back at the stunned Wolverine. "Almost."  
  
Logan watched Rogue retreat from the kitchen, before snapping his paper back in front of his face. It wasn't a minute before another voice started calling out to him. "Hey, dude." Logan bent down the paper so that only his eyes could be seen, and light brown met dark blue. "Know where a girl could get some anti-septic around here?" Alexis raised an eyebrow, and Logan muttered, "Go ask Mr. McCoy for some, down in the med-lab. Ask Wolfsbane if you can't find it."  
  
"Aye-aye Captain," she said, giving him a small salute before moving towards the door. She turned back for a second, and Logan looked at her again. "What's it now?"  
  
"Oh, nothin'," Alexis replied, smirking. The action caused on of the scratches to break open and start to bleed again, and Alexis cursed silently. Logan tried not to chuckle as he folded his paper. "Better go get those checked runt, before you get an infection."  
  
Alexis pouted, before replying, "Aw, I never knew you cared." Logan snorted, standing up and waving a hand at her, as if he was shooing a small dog. "Go on now, get!" he barked, pushing her out the door. Alexis smiled, before running off, calling out over her shoulder, "I love you too Beaver!"  
  
Logan groaned. "Not another smart-ass..."  
  
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A/N: And it's done! Sorry this chapter took so long guys, but I got stuck and was having trouble with it. But here it is!  
  
I hope you all are getting to know Alexis' character better, and that she's NOT turning into a Mary-Sue. Please, PLEASE tell me if she is!  
  
Next chapter will be Alexis' first training session, with another appearance by the Brotherhood. So keep watching this!  
  
-Rose  
  
By the way, I better get some good reviews for this! I was up until 1 in the morning finishing, because once I got the groove, I couldn't stop! Hope you all love it and appreciate my sacrifice of sleep!


	5. Sunday, February 6th: Evening

Love, or Something Like It  
  
Disclaimer: "Saw it, wanted it, had a fit, got it...and then got arrested. Meh, go figure. Stupid Marvel company, not wanting to share."  
  
A/N: And now my first favorite of the chapters. Wanna know why? XD 'Cause it's got fighting! And more romance! And drama!  
  
I actually liked what I did with Alexis' last chapter. She's all...ass- kickity. At least, I think she is. It was weird, 'cause she was starting to be someone I loved to hate, even though she was my own OC. Eh, go figure.  
  
Sorry for taking so long with this chapter y'all. I had...problems. XP  
  
Anyway, shout-out time!  
  
**Sparkie**- Yayness! She isn't becoming a Mary-Sue! And another yayness, because Sparkie isn't running from her, yelling, "Plague! Kill it, kill it, kill it!"  
  
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Chapter Five: Sunday, February 6th, Evening  
  
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"OK Alexis, just show us what you can do! No pressure right now, got it?"  
  
A loud whirring noise came from behind the nervous teenage girl, and she narrowly missed a buzz-saw by seconds as she fell to the ground. "Uh, Scott!" she yelled, running from another saw. "I've never exactly fought...machines before! Inanimate objects just aren't my thing!" She tried to jump over a laser beam, but it quickly disappeared as the noise from the room died down. "OK, try this simulation then!"  
  
Alexis tugged at the collar of her new X-Men uniform, her nerves starting to get the better of her. She wasn't a fighter; sure, she knew how to defend herself and how to bring down someone easily. But that was all street fighting, stuff she'd been brought up doing. She didn't know all this "defensive and offensive behavior" or all those tactics Scott had been gibbering about at dinner. Her powers weren't even useful in battle! Unless you counted that one time when she first discovered she had them...but that was more of an accident really.  
  
She pulled herself into a "ready" position, fists raised, feet planted steady. The room around her took on a holographic appearance for a minute, before she found herself in what seemed like an abandoned warehouse. A computerized voice called out, "Simulation XMVSBH7 ready. Commence now."  
  
From behind her body, she heard a low rumble. Whipping around, Alexis saw what looked like one of the boys from the mall. He was smirking at her from atop a pile of crates, wearing what looked like another type of uniform, and a Tupperware bowl on his head. He tossed a hand out in front of himself, fingers outstretched, and the room began to shake violently as a crack opened up in the ground and started moving towards Alexis.  
  
Alexis gasped as she dropped to the ground and rolled away from the crack. She frantically began to look around the room. _Come on, come on,_ she thought, her eyes locking on a long piece of pipe. _Not the best, but it'll have to do. _She crawled over to the pipe, before shooting up to her feet and grabbing it. She tested it on the ground, making a good dent in the concrete, before taking a deep breath and running towards her attacker. When she was within range, she cried out, raised the pipe above her head, and swung it back down.  
  
It would've pleased her to hear the sickening "crack" of metal-on-skull, but just as the pipe was going to fall across the boy's forehead, a long, green, slimy looking thing wrapped around it and jerked it out of her grasp. Alexis fell to the ground at the boy's feet, skinning her palms and chin. She looked upwards and grinned sheepishly at the rock-boy, who curled his upper lip in response.  
  
The sound of wind was heard behind Alexis, and she turned her head ever-so- slowly, coming face-to-face with another of the boys from the mall, the white-haired one that had been with Tabitha at first. He was smirking, and casually put his foot down on her back, pushing with a lot of pressure for being so thin.  
  
Around her, Alexis noticed the rest of the boys from the mall gathering around her, almost like they were circling, each smirking at the easy defeat. They started to laugh as Alexis scrambled around, trying to stand and fight. The groups laughter echoed around her, and Alexis squeezed her eyes closed, fighting back tears. _This isn't happening,_ she thought, covering her ears. _No way is this happening. Come on Alexis, pull yourself together!_ She forced her eyes open, determination plain to see. _You know you can do this. Don't let it end like every other time. You **can** fight, and you. Can. WIN.  
_  
Above the scene, in the control room, Logan grunted roughly. "Stop the simulation," he said to Scott, preparing to go down to the room floor. Scott shook his head. "She's barely been in there. We have to test her!"  
  
"Look at her!" Logan tossed a clawed hand and the girl lying on the floor of the room, hands clasped over her ears, eyes wide. He could smell her fear, as well as slight determination. "She's had enough! Now, end the simulation!"  
  
"Wait! Look!" Jean pointed down at the simulation excitedly. Everyone's eyes followed her finger down to Alexis.  
  
The girl had managed to calm herself, and, in one swift movement, dug her nails into Pietro's leg, the one on her back. The simulation-Pietro yelped in pain, jumping up to hold his leg; an unwise decision, as Alexis then bolted up onto one knee, leaving her other leg extended behind her. She turned quickly, her extended leg moving along the ground and shoving into Pietro's remaining leg, bringing him down.  
  
Standing up, Alexis quickly picked her next victim, the rock-tumbler that had first attacked her. He was standing with his back to her, and Alexis knew from experience that that was the worst position to be in when you were attacked. Bracing herself, she ran forward and slammed her shoulder into the boy's back, causing him to cry out in surprise. He tried to turn and grab Alexis, but she had already moved up onto a crate behind him. She had crouched down, like a cat, before flipping off the crate, pulling it as she did. The crate flew behind her and into the boy, bringing him down with a crash as Alexis smirked and dusted off her hands.  
  
The toadish boy, seeing that two of his teammates were down, hopped towards Alexis, unleashing the long, slimy thing again, which happened to be his tongue. Looking for something to put herself between the boy's disgusting tongue, Alexis picked up another piece of metal piping and held it in front of her face. The boy's tongue wrapped around it, somehow ending up in a knot. Alexis' smirk widened, before she started pulling the boy closer to her by using his tongue, all the while squinting in disgust from touching it.  
  
When she had the toad thing face to face with herself, Alexis dug her sharp nails into his tongue like how she had done with Pietro's leg. Yelping, the boy pulled away, unwrapping his tongue from the pipe. Alexis simply raised an eyebrow at the howling boy, before raising her pipe and bringing it down on his head. With a single, light blow, he was out cold.  
  
The only boy that remained now was the blob guy, someone Alexis wasn't in the mood to deal with. The whole time he'd been watching her take out the rest of the team with a slightly dazed look. He was still staring at the unconscious Toad, and Alexis rolled her eyes, before running behind him and hitting him over the head with the pipe like how she'd just done with her last victim. Shaking the ground as he fell, the boy toppled down, the last one to be taken out.  
  
Alexis smiled, before falling to her knees, shaking. She only then realized that adrenaline was coursing through her blood, and as she let the pipe roll away from her body, she sighed deeply. For the second time that day she felt physically wasted, and barely heard "Simulation Aborted" come from somewhere above her as the simulation faded from sight. She did notice however, when two people reached under her arms and picked her up, setting her back onto her feet unsteadily. Shaking her head to clear it, Alexis noticed Scott and Kurt were holding her up, as Kitty bounced around her, cheering. Rogue stood before her, arms folded over her chest, a look of satisfaction on her face. Jean's voice came over the intercom in the room, blaring, "Good job Alexis! Are you ready for the next simulation?"  
  
"_Next_ simulation?!" Alexis cried, pulling herself out of Scott and Kurt's grip, still wobbling slightly. "You mean I have _another_ of those damn things to do?"  
  
"Well," Scott started, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We've seen how you fight physically, but now we need to see how you fight with your powers. Standard procedure really." He smiled, but it was quickly wiped off his face as Alexis pulled her shoulder out of his grip. "I don't do fighting with my powers, thank you very much," she snarled, eyes narrowing. "But, we have to gauge how far you are with them!" Scott protested, switching into his "leader mode".  
  
Alexis shook her head violently, causing herself to stumble. Kurt lashed out and caught her from falling, and had to keep a strong hold on her as she leaned towards Scott. "I don't care if you have to gauge them, I ain't doing it. So deal!"  
  
"Alexis! You will do as instructed," Jean shouted over the intercom, turning to Logan, who had been overseeing the lesson. "Shouldn't you be giving her the teacher-to-student talk?" she asked desperately, and Logan chuckled. "I'm not butting in this time Red. Scooter can handle it He's a big boy, and she's just a lil' thing." He smirked, and Jean rolled her eyes, turning back to the window of the control box.  
  
Scott huffed out his chest. "You _will_ do as I tell you, you _will_ respect me and your fellow team members, and you _will_ finish your training sequence for tonight," he told her forcefully, and was surprised when a finger was raised into his face.  
  
Alexis broke free of Kurt's hold gently, her right index finger still pointed in between Scott's eyes. "You listen and you listen good, buddy. I ain't someone you can just order around. I ain't gonna respect you or anyone else if you don't respect me. And I ain't gonna finish this training thing. You have no right to force me to do any of this, seeing that you have no clue how to take me, and no clue as to who I am. Screw you, and screw this!" Her hand fell down to her side, and she stalked out of the room, pausing at the doorway to punch the metal frame, eyes still blazing with fury.  
  
Scott was speechless, as was Jean, Kitty, and Kurt. No one, except maybe Rogue, had ever told Scott off. Even at that, Rogue hadn't dared to tell him something like that. They all looked at each other, Jean shooting an "I- told-you-so" look at Logan, who merely shrugged, just as surprised as the rest of them. _Well,_ he thought, _someone's finally managed to knock Scooter off his throne. Wonder what else the little smart-ass has in store for everyone._  
  
The silence of the room was shattered as the large group of new recruits came stumbling in, chattering and laughing. "Hey, Scott!" called one of the boys, the brunette named Bobby. "Where's that new girl we're training with?"  
  
"Oh, Rahne and I saw her in the changing room," a dark haired and complected girl said, pointing behind her. "She said that she was feeling sick and was going to rest. Strange thing though, she didn't look ill." The girl frowned, puzzled, while one of the other boys laughed. He rested a hand on her shoulder, shrugging orange and blonde locks out of his eyes. "Don't worry about her Amara. Let's just get this training session over with, eh?"  
  
"Yeah 'Mara," said another dark haired girl, setting off a few fireworks from her hands. "Let's have some fun!" The rest of the group cheered, while Scott and the other senior members groaned. "OK team," Scott started, sighing. "Let's start tonight's session..."  
  
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Alexis fell onto her bed face first, before grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. When she was out of breath, she rolled over, onto her back, and stared at her ceiling, brow furrowed. Why did her temper have to keep flaring up? And _what _was with everyone asking her about her powers? She folded her arms beneath her head, sighing. _Maybe I should just tell them..._ she thought. _They can't get all that mad, can they? I mean, it was an accident after all.  
_  
Rolling onto her side and pulling her pillow close to her body again, Alexis shook her head. _Who are you kidding Valentine? They'd kill you and make it look like an accident. Wouldn't you do that if you found out that you had a love trance on you that had to wear off on it's own?  
_  
A knock on the door brought Alexis out of her thoughts long enough for her to pull off a boot, chuck it at the door, and cry, "Go away!" at whoever was there. The person knocked again, this time more forcefully, and Alexis sat up, groaning. "Just go away!" she whined, standing up and moving to the door. "Open up runt!" came a snarl from behind the plank of wood, and Alexis came face-to-face with a rather-pissed-off looking Logan as she pulled the door open. Rogue was standing beside him, her arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised.  
  
"What?" Alexis sighed, stumbling at bit as she was off-balance. Her hands found their way to her hips, and anger and annoyance wove themselves into her features. "I'm not goin' back in there. No way, no how." She stood her ground, but it was hard for the short, skinny girl who was missing a boot to look menacing. Rogue couldn't help herself and began to snort with laughter, and even Logan chuckled a bit. "Cut the act kid, it ain't workin'. Now, c'mon. You still got yer trainin' to finish." He turned in the direction of the Danger Room, leaving Alexis and a laughing Rogue behind.  
  
Alexis grumbled as she picked up her stray boot and slipped it back on, leaning on Rogue for support, before the pair made their way to the Danger Room, walking about ten or so feet behind Logan.  
  
"So..." Rogue drawled, casting Alexis a curious glare out of the corner of her eye. "So what?"  
  
"Where'd ya learn ta fight like that?"  
  
"Uh, y'know...around." Alexis shrugged her shoulders slightly. "A girl's gotta know how to take care of herself."  
  
"But ya had ta have had some kinda experience ta pull those moves off..."  
  
"Well, let's just say I'm no stranger to protecting myself."  
  
"That looked like more than protection ta meh." Rogue raised an eyebrow again, and Alexis sighed impatiently. "Fine, if you're gonna stick your nose into my business. I grew up around rough crowds, even before my parents had to give me up. A little kid's always getting picked on, and I ran around on my own rules and terms. You don't earn street credentials by just having a screwed past; everyone has one. So I learned how to stand up for myself, how to defend my pride and my body. Happy?"  
  
Rogue smirked as they entered the Danger Room. "Not quite Lex. It's one thang ta have credentials out there; ya need 'em here ta make 'em count. So pull it together, before ya really mess thangs up." She patted Alexis on the shoulder, before heading up to the control room. Alexis stared after her, mouth slightly open, before a loud holler of annoyance caught her attention. Turning back to the room, she dropped her head into her hands and muttered "Why me?"  
  
The rest of the newer additions to the school were messing around a bit, causing mayhem with what they could. At the moment, the boy named Bobby AKA "Ice Man", had iced a path along the room and was racing the other boys on it. Though he'd made the track, he was almost dead-last, just managing to be in front of the boy named Ray; both were far behind the pair battling for the position of first, Sam and Roberto.  
  
Along the track were the other girls, Rahne, Jubilee, and Amara, all cheering their favorite boy, excluding Ray, who Alexis pitied slightly. But he was being cheered for by the youngest member of the newbies, the kid named Jamie, AKA "Multiple". Him and a few of his clones were cheering for Ray, who seemed slightly pleased at having the most cheers, even if he did ruthlessly pick on little Jamie at times.  
  
Alexis was about to join the group, when she heard Logan bark over the intercom. "OK runts, training time! Today's session is simple: be the first team to get through the maze and rescue your kidnapped teammate before the other. Teams are as follows: Magma, Cannonball, Jubilee, and Sunspot are Team A; Wolfsbane, Ice Man, Berserker, and Alexis are Team B. Multiple, you are the target they are trying to rescue. Y'all got yer orders, so let the mission begin!"  
  
The room turned into a sort of maze at those words, using the same sort of holographic projection as before with Alexis' previous session. The walls were high, at least twelve feet, and as one separated the teams, a loud buzzer sounded signaling the start of the session. Alexis got ready in a running position, but turned back as she saw no movement from the others on her team. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she shouted, tossing up her hands. Bobby rubbed the back of his neck and Ray cast a look at Rahne, who shot it back. "Well, normally we have a leader to tell us what to do. Usually it's Cyclops. This is one of the first sessions we've done without any of the senior X-Men."  
  
Alexis gave another impatient sigh, before pulling the others down into a huddle. "OK, this is what we do first. Bobby, ice up and make a slide to see if you can see over the walls and where we have to go. Rahne, try to sniff out a trail. Ray, charge the walls."  
  
"Charge the walls? What'll that do?"  
  
Alexis rolled her eyes. "If any members of the other team are touching them, they'll get shocked, giving us a bit more time to work. Now, get to it!" She clapped her hands together, almost as if she was in a football game, and the others gave her a strange set of looks before they all moved into her instructions. Ray held onto the nearest wall and gave it a small shock of electricity, almost laughing as he heard a loud, "_Ow_!" from the wall to his left and just slightly in front of him.  
  
Rahne also bit back a laugh as she morphed into her wolf form and started to sniff the ground. There were faint trances of Jamie, but not enough to track. Morphing back, she watched as Bobby iced up and made a path up and over one of the walls, Alexis kneeling by his side. She stood up, used a hand to shade her eyes from the glare of the room's lights, and began to look for a path. "Rahne!" she called down to her teammate, who met her eyes with concern. "Go ahead with Ray! Take a left, then a right, then run straight ahead for about twenty yards. Bobby and I'll meet you there!" Wolfsbane nodded, before she ran off, following Alexis' directions, Berserker on her heels.  
  
"Why'd you send them ahead?" Bobby asked, turning to look her in the eye. Alexis gulped, before pointing dramatically over his shoulder. "Because we have to deal with that." Bobby looked slightly confused, before he turned his head, eyes widening at what Alexis was pointing at. "Ohhhh noooo! Hold on!" he shouted, reaching out to grab Alexis' hand, before jumping off the ice slide, pulling her with him. Against her better judgment, Alexis began screaming, stopping abruptly as Bobby made another ice slide, this time following the directions that Alexis had given Wolfsbane and Berserker.  
  
"What is that thing?" Bobby asked, trying to dodge the lasers coming from the spiky, mace-like object floating behind them. "Hell if I know!" Alexis called back, crouching behind the shield Bobby had conveniently created to protect them. "Hurry!" she shouted as the shield was struck, ice shattering around them like glass. "I'm trying!" he replied, speeding up.  
  
"There's Wolfsbane and Berserker!" Alexis cried, pointing ahead at the two, bored looking figures. "Ray!" The boy looked up, eyes widening at the sight of the pairs' pursuer. "Kill it kill it, kill it!"  
  
It only took one "kill it" for Ray to jump into action. With a few well- aimed electric shocks, he managed to disable the machine, it falling out of the air and onto the ice slide, crushing it. Alexis and Bobby were thrown to the ground, but scrambled to their feet quickly, Bobby holding his right arm gingerly. "Go on ahead," he panted, struggling to stand. "You need to hurry."  
  
"Oh no, you're not getting out of this that easily," Alexis said, shaking her head and heaving Bobby the rest of the way to his feet. She bit into the sleeve of her uniform, tearing off a long strip and tying it into a make-shift sling for Bobby's arm. "Now, come on!" She started to run again, when a loud "whir" sound echoed around the room, the maze disappearing. "Congratulations Team A. You made it through the maze, defeated your attacker, and rescued your teammate in record time!"  
  
Alexis screamed in annoyance, dropping Bobby as she threw up her hands in frustration. Rahne and Ray also looked sulky as they walked over to the other recruits who were cheering for their victory. Bobby managed to stand again, before shooting Alexis a sad glance and muttering, "We'll get 'em next time Lex," and patting the girl on the back. She nodded warily, before joining the celebration committee.  
  
Around her, the teams had short of branched of into awkward pairs, boys with girls, each giving their congrats or accepting it. Alexis smiled, before shaking her head. _It seems like that trance did at least one thing right_, she thought as she observed Jubilee fussing over Bobby's shoulder, Amara and Roberto hugging each other and still cheering, and Sam blushing and scuffing the toes of his boots as Rahne muttered her own embarrassed words of praise. _I think I managed to hit the right people with that group.  
_  
After calling out her own praise and receiving thank you's from the winning team, Alexis yawned and started for the doorway of the changing room. It was going to be a stressful morning, what with another training session with Logan at dawn, and her first day back at high school in a month later on. The roughed-up teen was going to need as much sleep as she could get.  
  
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A/N: And it's done! Again, sorry for taking such a long time to update. I was starting to fall out of the story groove. But, it's here! Please, drop your comments, I'd love to hear your opinions! Oh, and next time on "Love, or Something Like It":  
  
_Alexis cocked her head to the side, long hair falling over her shoulder. "Can I hurt you?" she asked the boy standing in front of her, who laughed heartily. "I dunno 'bout that sweet thing; I'm pretty sure you can-"  
  
His reply was cut short as Alexis' temper got the better of her, and she kicked the boy swiftly where it hurt the most. As he doubled over in pain, Alexis smiled. "You were right. I can hurt you."  
_  
-Rose 


End file.
